Did this leftist thug come up from behind and start pounding away with a baseball bat? From the photos it doesn’t look like the perp could punch like Roberto Duran.
The article said he was tackled. Another article said Paul got off his riding mower to move something in the way. At this time, the guy blind sided him.
Probably the guy was running full speed and might have speared him with his head, maybe shoulder, maybe elbow and forearm. A fist isn't large enough to take out five ribs. If you don't see it coming, there's no defense.
I had one busted and I also had a cold with a nasty cough at the same time. Not fun for a couple weeks. It was slow to heal since the coughing wouldn't let it still so it could heal. Sneezing is fun, too.